MEET the song-writing solicitor who wants to ditch the courtroom to launch a full-time music career.
Sean Coady, 41, from Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny, has been playing guitar for over 20 years but after he started writing his own tunes during Covid, he was persuaded to enter the UK international song-writing competition.
And his song Beyond the Sun made it all the way to the final in the rock/category.
Now Sean has his sights set on taking his talents to the next level.
He told the Irish Sun: “I’ve been playing guitar for over 20 years, just for fun.
“I’ve never really written music, or my songs, nothing like that.
“Then during Covid a friend said I should try and right some of my own.
“So I just started putting some ideas down and the ideas and notes fell out of me on to the page.
“And the feedback was great from people. A friend told me you really have a gift so I started thinking maybe I could take this more seriously and have been giving it some thought.
“I know I’m not that young to be starting a song-writing career but maybe better later than never.
‘ENOUGH FOR TWO ALBUMS’
“I’ve 26 songs written now, enough for two albums, and I only started writing songs about four years ago.”
Sean previously worked in a factory before qualifying as a solicitor in 2014 and has been working full-time in Dublin.
But is new first love is music –and his recently-discovered talent for penning catchy rock or indie tunes.
His track Beyond the Sun, featuring gifted singer Cherly Marry, has already made waves and wowed judges in the UK Song-Writing Contest last year.
He revealed: “I had the opening three chords in my head for a new song and I wanted it to be a loop of pure melody.
“Once I had the verses, the bridge and the melodic chorus on the guitar, the lyrics literally fell out of me and I wrote the song in about 30 minutes.
“It was originally intended to be a duet but someone suggested it would sound good with a female voice, so I then got in contact with a very talented singer named Cheryl Marry from Co Meath.
“We then went across to JAM Studios last May and recorded the song. I’m very excited for people to hear it now.
REACH FINAL
“I was persuaded to enter a few of my in the UK song-writing contest and they were all very well received.
“I was blown away to have Beyond the Sun reach the final in the rock/indie category but the other songs I entered also received four or 4.5 stars out of five.”
Sean says he loves everything from David Bowie, the Beatles and Prince to Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay but I have an open ear and would listen to anything.
He added: “I started playing the electric guitar in 2020 during lockdown and haven’t looked back since.
“The thought of writing my own music had never occurred to me until my friend suggested it and I’m so thankful he did as it’s now something I absolutely love doing.
“It was like once the floodgates for writing music opened up and I haven’t stopped since.”
Now Sean plays at open mic nights in Whelans on a Monday and at Board on Clanbrassil Street on a Thursday but is hoping this might lead to new opportunities.
He said: “I’m really enjoying what I’m doing now and love the open mic nights but if I thought it could led to some kind of deal, well I’m open to every possibility. We’ll just see what happens now I guess.”
